Valentino, Italian fashion icon, dies aged 93

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died, his foundation announced on Monday.

Numerous Italian media outlets reported that the Italian great died at his home in Rome. 

Valentino, who is typically known by his first name, was 93 years old.

“Valentino ‌Garavani ⁠passed away today at his Roman residence, ‍surrounded by ​his loved ​ones,” his foundation said on Instagram.

His lying in state will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. 

A funeral is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Friday in Rome.

Italian prime minister among first to pay tribute

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among the first to pay tribute to the Italian great, writing on X that Valentino was the “undisputed master of style and elegance and the eternal symbol of Italian high fashion.”

“Today, Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything,” she said.

Valentino known for gowns, signature red color

Valentino was born in Italy in 1932 and loved cinema, which led him down the fashion lane. He first made a name for himself in Paris but set up The House of Valentino with the help of his father and business associate. That was 1959, when he returned to Rome.

The signature “Valentino Red” became a hue that he became very famous for, having once clarified that it was on a trip to Spain where he noticed the color in a Barcelona opera house. The venue’s red interiors inspired him, and from that point, the colour became his calling card.

Valentino dressed many famous people through the decades, including actress Elizabeth Taylor, whom he met in Rome, in the 1960s. He then moved to New York in the 1970s. Soon, his gowns became a mainstay on red carpets. Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, and Anne Hathaway were among the stars who wore his gowns.

“Few people have devoted more energy to the pursuit of luxury than Valentino,” read a 2005 profile of him in the New Yorker. 

Alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld, Valentino was among the last great fashion designers representing the golden era of fashion, before the industry turned global and highly commercial. “I know what women want,” he once remarked. “They want to be beautiful.”

“Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” his foundation said in a statement posted on social media. Valentino retired in 2008.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar